Home fertility tests available for men

A new test that checks a man's sperm count will soon be available in the UK

It’s not just women who can test fertility levels in the comfort of their own home as a new device that allows men to check their sperm count is soon to go on sale.

The test is currently being reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US and is predicted to retail for £15 – substantially cheaper that having a full semen analysis – in pharmacies across the UK.

According to an article published in the journal Human Reproduction, Dr John Herr of the University of Virginia, who helped develop the test, said the test was accurate 96% of the time, compared to standard lab methods.

‘The test basically tells the man how deep theinfertilityis,’ said Dr Herr. ‘If both strips are negative it’s important that they then seek medical treatment for the infertility.’

The test is said to work by detecting an antigen found on the surface of the head of aspermcell known as SP-10, and took 10 years to develop.